3Warriors Way Ep1 Freedom
by Lantana75
Summary: When two townspeople and two vigilantes seek out both Yang and the Sad Flutes, they find more than what they bargained for. Ep 2 Coming Soon
1. Chapter 1

Note: This is written to be like a sequel to the movie, so anyone that died in the original movie will not be in the story (unless mentioned by name in flashbacks and conversations among characters).

The light rain pattered on the roof as Lynne held little April and looked the three-year-old girl in the face.

"Lynne," Lynne urged. "Say 'Lynne'!"

Lynne waited patiently and smiled as April reached out to her, as if saying "Enough of this. Just hug me!" Lynne giggled and hugged the beautiful toddler. She loved the girl and wanted to make sure she was happy, healthy, and safe. It had been just over two years since April's life had been placed in danger. A clan of Ninja warriors, called the Sad Flutes, had wanted her dead and didn't care that she was so young and innocent.

As Lynn coaxed the child, she heard the sound of horses' hooves trotting towards the town. Lynne stood up, taking April in her arms. She looked to see a couple riding towards the town. A young woman on a solid black horse, possibly a Friesian horse, and a man on a buckskin horse were approaching the town. The couple were white, not Asian, so Lynne was sure this was not about the child. As the riders entered the town, they slowed the horse to a walk and then stopped.

The saddles and bridles were works of art. The woman's black leather saddle had a silver horn and silver stirrups. The matching black leather bridle had a silver face decoration on it. The saddle blanket was yellow with purple trim. The man's saddle and bridle were dark brown leather with similar silver trim on them. The woman's bridle's decoration was a heart with a sapphire in the center; while the man's decoration on his bridle was a horseshoe shape with a diamond.

The woman was dressed in black jeans, dark-purple shirt, black boots, and a black fringe coat. She wore a black hat and black leather gloves. The man wore black jeans, dark brown chaps, dark blue shirt, and dark brown gloves. His hat was dark brown and his hair was long and loose.

"What do you need?," Lynne asked the couple, who had not yet dismounted the horses. The horse shook its head and snorted.

"My name is Alexa" the woman rider said. "This is my husband, Jesse. We are not here to hurt anyone."

Lynne stood upright, picking up the child in her arms. She watched the couple suspiciously.

"We're looking for the Sad Flutes," Alexa went on. "I am a professional vigilante and I want them to cease their pursuit of a baby they seek to kill."

"This is the baby," Lynne said. "We keep her safe."

As the three talked, Ron stepped out of the hotel and saw the group. He was curious, so he walked over to see what was happening. Ron wore his red fringe shirt and black jeans.

"Ron, these two are here looking for the Sad Flutes," Lynne explained when he asked what was happening.

"Most of them are dead now," Ron said. "The others are pursuing Yang across the country. He stays away from here to keep April safe. He knows that they will hurt her if they come back here."

"I understand," Jesse replied.

"Some of our friends gave their lives saving this child," Ron went on. "She is safe with us."

"I have no doubt," Jesse said. "It's obvious that you all love the child. We hunt down these dangerous people and make sure they never hurt anyone again. We don't take the bounties on them. We give that money to the orphanage that we grew up in."

"You were both orphans?," Lynne asked.

"Yeah, we were," Jesse replied. "We were both at the same orphanage. We ran away from it together when I was sixteen and she was fifteen. We learned to fight, shoot, and ride."

"No doubt," Ron replied. "But I have seen the Sad Flutes in action. They are extremely skilled at what they do."

"We know that," Jesse replied. "There are only ten of them left. If we can take them down, Yang and April will be OK. They'll be completely free."

Lynne seemed to take that in. She looked at Ron. "Maybe we should all go after them," she said. "We all miss Yang and we want them all to be free from fear. I can fight and shoot and you're a professional shooter. We can all do it together."

Ron thought.

"We welcome all the help we can get," Jesse replied.

Ron sighed.

Alexa and Jesse were both armed to the teeth. Alexa had a Schofield revolver in her holster, a hunting knife in her left boot, a sawed-off shotgun on her back, and a repeater rifle on her saddle. Jesse had a LeMat revolver in his holster, a similar hunting knife in his left boot, a double-barreled shotgun on his back, and an Evans repeater rifle on his saddle. They were both right-handed shooters. It was clear that the couple were both very experienced. They must have been doing this for a long time.

"Ron, let's go," Lynne begged. "I want Yang here. I want him to be free and happy. He loves April and I know he misses her. He misses us, too."

Ron stepped closer to Jesse's horse. "When do you leave?," he asked.

"At dawn," Jesse replied. "We need a rest. We have been riding almost all day today."

"We have a place for you to sleep," Ron replied. "We can also make sure the horses are cared for."

Ronald had really come a long way since the first time he had seen April. Then, he was a drunk and the laughingstock of the town. He was often passed out and almost never coherent. He sobered up to help save the baby from the Sad Flutes and never touched alcohol again after that. Now, he was almost like the Sheriff of this town that had no law enforcement. The residents were all good people. They were often worried about the strangers that came into town for any reason.

Lynne and Alexa walked around the small town. Lynne told Alexa of how they wanted to restore the old Ferris wheel and bring people back into the town and bring the town back to life. Lynne was right: the town was dead and quiet. Many of the buildings were either falling or had fallen. The old Ferris wheel looked to be a death trap. Alexa would not want to get on that right now.

At the cemetery, Lynne pointed at one grave. "That's where Eight-Ball is buried," she told Alexa. "He was one of us, a little man and very funny and nice. April loved him."

"Lynne!"

Lynne turned to see who was calling her name. Ron was walking towards the women with April in his arms. April reached for Lynne. Lynne smiled and took her. "I'll get her ready," she said. She could be heard talking to the girl as she walked away with her.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was peeking over the horizon as the four companions mounted their horses. Jesse led the way as the group trotted out of the town into the west. Ron and Lynne knew that the townsfolk would take good care of the child and assure her safety.

"How long have you been tracking down people?," Ron asked.

"Almost ten years," Alexa replied. "We married last year."

"So, do you all have a plan to expand your town?," Jesse asked. "There's not a lot of people in Lode and Lynne is still so young."

"The railroad is coming our way," Ron replied. "That will bring many people, both good and bad."

"Change is only good when it makes things better," Alexa said. "The down side is that the wrong people will come in on that train. You need some lawmen in Lode as soon as possible."

"That we do," Ron replied. "We need many things in Lode."

The four riders urged their horses into slow gallops. Jesse followed the unfinished railway. Workers were putting the tracks together and being supervised. Alexa knew that some of these men were little more than slaves, working off debts that had been promised to bring them to America. Some were from Asia. Some were from Mexico. Some were from Europe. All were unhappy. They had hoped for a better life for their families. Instead, they were barely able to feed their loved ones.

As the sun climbed high into the sky, the four companions entered a moderate-sized town called Paradise. They wondered if it were really paradise here. They slowed their horses to a walk and entered the town cautiously.

In town, few people even seemed to notice the four.

"Sleepy little town," Lynne commented.

They stopped by the general store and hitched their horses. The two women entered the store to buy supplies that they needed. The men walked down the road to the gunsmith to buy ammunition for their guns.

As the women left the store and started to pack the pack horse, a noise caught their attention.

"Hey, girl! Watch it!," a man screamed.

A little girl was crossing the road when a wagon horse spooked. The horse was galloping right at the girl.

"Oh, no," Alexa gasped. She ran towards the child and shoved her aside just as the horse took Alexa down. Lynne screamed for Jesse as the horse ran right over Alexa as if she were part of the road.

Jesse and Ron hurried to Alexa's side. Jesse picked his wife up into his strong arms and carried her off the road. He laid her down on an empty wagon that was near the store.

"I'm OK, Jesse," Alexa assured. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Relax, Alexa," Jesse said. "You'll be fine."

"The doctor is over there," a bystander said as she pointed towards the doctor's office. "He's a great doctor and a kind man. He'll do all he can to help her."

Jesse picked Alexa up again and carried her across the road and into the office. The doctor helped lay her down on a cot.

"I'm Dr. Oliver Grayson," the doctor said. "What happened?"

"She was trampled by a horse," Jesse said. "Just help her, please."

Jesse and the others waited outside. After awhile, Grayson stepped out.

"She'll be fine," Grayson said. "She's fighting me tooth and nail in there and I think she's ready to blow up."

"That's Alexa, all right," Jesse smiled. "She hates the feeling of being confined. She's a wild mustang, that gal."

"Well, I'm setting her free," Grayson said. "She'll be sore for awhile, but she's fine now. Go on in."

Jesse trotted into the office. Alexa was sitting on the side of the bed and putting her boots on. She put on her holster and her rifle sling. She put the sawed-off shotgun into the sling and stood up. She grabbed her knife and placed it into the sheath on her boot.

"Let's go," Alexa said. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?," Jesse asked.

"It was one horse and an empty wagon," Alexa said. "I'm bruised and a little sore, but nothing is broken."

"Well, I know there's no use trying to change your mind," Jesse said. "I know you all too well. Let's ride."

The four companions left the town and continued west-bound.

The travelers came upon a very small town that would make even Lode look big. As they neared the center of town, they found something that shocked them all.

"Yang?," Lynne asked.

Yang had been tied to a post in the boiling sun with no shirt on. He was sunburned, chapped, and dry. Lynne jumped from her horse and hurried to free him. She cut the ropes as Jesse hurried over. Jesse and Lynne carefully helped him sit down in the shade of a tree. Alexa dismounted and brought over a canteen. Yang gulped the water down like beer. He was so relieved.

"What happened?," Lynne asked.

"They think I'm somebody else," Yang said. "There's been some man around here robbing banks and stagecoaches. They say I look like him and they plan to execute me like this."

As he talked, the town's Sheriff walked over.

"I am Sheriff Leroy Paxton," the sheriff said. "May I ask why you are aiding a criminal?"

"This man is not a criminal," Lynne said. "He would never hurt anyone for any reason, except self-defense."

"That's right," Ron replied. "I know this man. He risked his life protecting a baby that was not even related to him."

"The coachman recognized him," Paxton argued.

"He made a mistake," Ron replied. "If we find the right man, will you free this man?"

"If you can prove your case," Paxton replied. "But he stays here until then."

"In the jail, safe," Lynne insisted.

"We'll do that," Paxton replied. He motioned one deputy to come over to him and then told him to take Yang back into the jail cell.

"We'll find him," Ron said.

"We sure will," Jesse agreed.

"Last we heard, a stagecoach was robbed north of here," Paxton told the group. "Might be a place to check."

Everyone mounted up and rode away at a slow gallop. When they were out of the town, they rode faster. They followed a road that led north. The wagon tracks were fresh. The group followed the trail and came upon a destroyed stagecoach. The people were no longer with it. They had gotten to town the previous evening. One horse was lying dead and still in the harness and bridle.

"This is the robbery the sheriff told us about," Ron said. "They said that one man was killed."

"This is awful," Alexa said. "Innocent people should not be victimized."

"This is not a perfect world," Jesse said. "It's full of bad people."

"That's true," Ron said. "From what I see, the Law does not work all that well. Criminals are like weeds: as soon as you stomp one out, more spring up in its place."

"That's very true," Jesse replied.

Jesse dismounted and studied the ground. "Looks like one person went northwest," he said. "Look at these hoofprints. The stagecoach horses went towards town, like they're trained. But one horse went this way. This horse has a rider. Its hoofprints are deeper than the harness horses."

"The weight of an average man," Ron said. "Let's follow that path."

The four riders followed the hoofprints at a trot, hoping to find the real culprit and free Yang from jail.

They came to a fork in the road and stopped.

"Now which way?," Lynne asked.


	3. Chapter 3

"I hear something," Jesse said. "Quiet."

Everyone became quiet for a moment. Jesse suddenly spurred his horse into action and the others followed him. A ways into the woods, they found a man looking through satchels and luggage.

"There's a chinaman there," Ron said. "And he is looting those bags. That's the real culprit."

"Let's get him," Lynne said.

The four riders rode towards him. The Chinese man did look a lot like Yang, but he had a big scar on his face that looked he had been assaulted with broken glass, such as a broken bottle. The man jumped and hurried to his horse.

The man's horse was already exhausted and could not go far. It collapsed. He shot the animal and ran through the woods. The four companions could not navigate the tight woods on their horses, so they chased him on foot and split up to try to box him in.

"We're not letting you go!," Lynne screeched. "You'll pay!"

"Lynne, don't kill him!," Ron called out. "We need him alive!"

Lynne hurried towards the fleeing outlaw. As she got closer to him, a figure jumped from nowhere and tackled the man down. Jesse held the man down and hog-tied him.

"You're gonna be late to wherever you're going," Jesse joked. "Then again, I don't think you'll get there at all."

Jesse lifted the man over his right shoulder and carried him back to the horses. He put the man onto his own horse, just behind the saddle, and mounted up. The others mounted their horses and took the man back to town. He dismounted and tossed the man onto the ground by the Sheriff's office.

"Sheriff, we got your man!," Ron called, still on his horse.

Alexa, also still in the saddle, watched as the sheriff examined the man. "He looks just like the other guy," he admitted.

"That's Sung Park, a lifetime outlaw," a deputy said as he recognized the man. "He's robbed numerous stagecoaches. They say he likes to work alone and that's why he only targets stagecoaches. They can be robbed by one person if done right."

"Release the other man," Sheriff said. He looked at the friends. "I am sorry for this," he said, sincerely. "You're all fine. Go on and live your lives."

"Thanks," Jesse said.

Yang walked out, looking so much better. He had all his belongings and he was ready to leave right away. He mounted the horse the friends had just claimed for him.

"Let's go," Lynne said.

Yang said nothing and rode out with the others.


	4. Chapter 4

The five riders continued west, barely speaking. They found a ghost town that had once been a thriving silver city until the railroad bypassed it. Then, everyone left. Now, it was often used as a gang hide-out. People had been talking about a new gang that was there and all dressed in black. They talked about "ten or twelve strange-looking men" in the town.

"Let's leave the horses here," Yang said. "We need to be very quiet."

Everyone dismounted and tied their horses in an area they were sure was well-hidden.

The group separated and went into the town from all different directions, hoping to surround them.

"We have company, warriors," the new clan leader said as he saw Yang walking forward. Yang stood up straight and walked as if he were simply taking a stroll through the park on a lovely Spring day. The others remained hidden, ready to provide cover for their friend. Yang gripped his sword in his right hand. He was ready to fight to the last man, to be free from fear, to be able to love.

The new clan leader, named Fei, approached Yang with his own sword. He was ready to take down Yang, once and for all. Yang knew that the clan would go after the baby if he died. He had to win this fight. He had to secure his freedom, as well as April's freedom and safety. How much longer could the people really protect the child?

Fei stopped face-to-face with Yang.

"Turn over the child and we will spare your life," Fei said.

"No," Yang replied. "She will never harm you. She does not know who she truly is or where her family is. She will never be anyone for you to fear, even when grows up and becomes a mother herself."

"We cannot take that chance," Fei replied as he raised his sword. "Now, it is time to fight or die."

Fei and Yang stepped closer and the battle began.

Ron, Lynne, Jesse, and Alexa emerged from their hiding places and began their battle with Fei's men. They quickly took down the men. Each man had only a sword. They were all taken down from a distance. No man can run faster than a bullet.

Once all the men were dead, the four companions stood by and watched the battle between Yang and Fei. They could see that the men were evenly matched and very skilled. They dared not intervene. They holstered their guns and waited. And prayed.

Fei swung at Yang's legs. Yang jumped over the blade and landed safely onto his feet. He swung at Fei, taking part of the man's left hand. Fei watched as the two small fingers and part of the hand fell to the ground and then looked at Yang with anger. Blood dripping from what was left of the hand and arm, Fei came at Yang. He held the sword as firmly as he could with both hands and swung downward towards Yang's head. Yang blocked the attack and kicked Fei back.

Fei fell to the ground, dropping the sword.

Yang stepped to Fei and looked down at the man. He spat on Fei and took his sword in both hands. With the blade pointed straight down, he jammed the sword into Fei's chest. Fei struggled, then twitched, and then became still.

Yang looked at his friends. He was free. He was finally free.


	5. Chapter 5

The expression on Yang's face was priceless when he saw April. It had been almost two years since he had seen the girl. He couldn't believe how fast she was growing. Her long silky hair was in pigtails and she was in a cute green and white dress.

April smiled at Yang, indicating that she remembered him. She reached out to him. Yang picked up the child and hugged her. He was so happy.

Was it really over?

Was April truly free now?

Would Yang be free to live and love again?

Would Jesse and Alexa make this their new home?

What was it about Ronald that bothered Alexa?

Ep 2 Coming Soon!


End file.
